Improved mode of connecting cars to trucks



t To @ZZ `whom/ it may concern):

UN Iren STATES PATENT Y' 'O-iuiiczir.v

ALFREDV BRIDGEs, or Newton, MAssAoHUsErfrs.

uwpPaovE-o Mona oF QONNECTING CARS vTo `Taucks, e d' Specification forming part of Letters' Patent N o. @d 27S. dated September 2.0, 1864.

Be it known that I, ALFRED BRIDGES, of Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Means of Connecting Cars to Trucks; and Ido hereby declare that tie following is a fulland exactde-V scription thereof.

The accompanying drawings form apart of thisgspecication. 7

Figure 1 i's a side view of a truck and of a portion of a car-body constructed. and connected according to myinveution. Fig. 2 is a section through the center of one of the springs and its connections. Fig. 3 is a section through l one of the caps employed, showing` the preferable mode ofconstruction.

Similar letters of reference indicate like' parts in all the.gnres.-

My present invention is an improvementon that shown in .the patent issued to me dated the 2d of June, 1863. in both the carbody is suspended from the truck by a spring or yield.- ing connection'. My present invention is animprovement, in that it involves a superior arrangement of the principal springs, Asustains them lby auxiliary springs, and provides lfor reducing theirabrasion so as to allow them to perform in the novel manner required without impairing their durability.

To enable others skilled in the art to make Y and use my invention, l williproceedto deY scribe its construction and operation by the aid of the drawings and of the letters of refen ence marked thereon.

A are the wheels; B, the axles, and G the axle-boxes. These parts, as also the carbody M, are made in the usual manner..

D is the truck-framing, formed of wroughtiron, so as to be light, strong, and elastic.l The crossbars E maybe extended across and form the'only necessary1 connection between the two sides of the truck-frame- A strong lug or shelf, d, is produced on the truck-frame D at ,the points represented, adapted to support the rubber springsH. The lug d'has a large hole in its center, the use of which will presently appear. Brakes, safety-chains, and other devices necessarily or commonly used on trucks may be attached in any approved manner not represented.

F F are strong inverted pedestals bolted on the car-body and extending down so as toprethe weight of the car-body by these 'pedestals in the manner now to be shown, The rubber springsH are cylindrical, and provided with a cylindrical hole, which is considerably larger than the slender. bolt G. A thimble, h, cast` on the covering-plate J, extends about onethird of the depth of each spring H. The re- 4.

sent their lower ends under the springs H H. 'A bolt, G, of wroughtliron or steel, suspends mailling two-thirds ofthe depth of the spring' H` is not lined in any manner, but is left with the full-size ot' the hole empty, so as to allow the boltG to swing freely in all directions.

The hole inthe iron support d is ,also of sufficient size to allow freedom for s ucll motion as before intimated.

N N are stout springs of steel in plates, orI

of any other suitable material, bolted tothe dicated, and presenting their thinner ends (lirect-ly over the covering-plates J and springs .swin'g in all directions. is supported on the lower endsof these bolts ingo of the car-body in all directions byjreason `of the convex. heads g and 'of the tapering form ofthe hole in thepedestal F, as represented.

-The auxiliary springs N tend by their elasticity to stand considerably above the top of the bends them down, so that they touch the top With each jolting movement of the truck in 'traversing over irregularities in the track the spring N contributes its elastic force to aid the spring H in properly and gently resisting the A G`,through themediurn of the hanging pedesf tals 'F and convex leadsg on f the bolts G. These parts are also adapted to allow aswin grubber springs H but the weight of the car motion and transmitting only a gentle. undulatin g movement to the car-body. With each ot' the slight sidewise movements of the truck;

frame D, due to constantly-recurring causes, the bolts G swing o'r move horizontally at their upper ends in the' required directions, ywhile the pedestal or bracketV F,and conseiptently I,

the car-bod y, movesl very slightly, it? at all. l

Incase the car-body, in obedience to an impulse received from the movement of the truck, as just described, or Vfrom any other cause, seeks to move sidewise, or forward, or backto support the load. This follows from the form and arrangementof the parts, because the suspension-bolt G fits loosely in the cap J and thimble hwhile hanging vertically and while swinging in very small ares; but s0 soon as the pendulous motion reaches a cer-. tain limit the' bolt G compels the thimble-h and cap J to turn with it, and this turning compels a change in form of the rubbermass H, which isvigoronsly resisted by its elastic force. The leaf-sprin gs N not only increase the strength and elasticity of the support for thecar, but by vtheir arrangement relatively to the rubber springs H and'to the truck-frame D d tend to relieve the latter fromstrain. If the entire weight were carried, as in my former arrangement, ou the ov'erhangingl ends of' the ,truck-frame, the tendencyl would be to depress the ends and elevate the eenterportion of the `truck-frame. vThis ,would be the case with my presentconstruetion if `the springs 'N were dispensed'with and the whole weight .thrown upon the truck-frame through the shelves d d, which forml in eieet overhan ging ends ofthe truck-frame, because they are beyond the axles.

rlhe effect would be to bend the part D into amore or less curved arch; but' my springs N take a portion of the strain and transfer it to the central, or near the central, petition of the framing, inducing a severe pressure downward-at the points O and a lifting force at lthe points 1)'. The framing lis sufciently trussed to resist Athe upward strain on 'this short length between the points O O; but if it were not it could be avoided by slightly adding to the weight ofthe two springs N N, and extendingthe material thereof along the center, so as to join the two into one strong single spring. It will of course be understood' that the boxes C, which I have said are of the usual construction, may be allowed' 'l to slide up and down in the jaws in the frame of the truck, and may be each provided with independent springs in the'well-known man ner,.if preferred. I have, however, represent'- ed them as fixed in the framing, and believe that a very simple form of box adapted to carry, the lubricating material, but not tov move in the jaws, w'ill serve very satisfac'j torily'in connection with my invention.

I may add that my'invention is capable of being used in partvwith good eii'ect even without the other parts here represented. 'lhus my principal springs H may be used with fsome advantage to carry the load, and allow it to swing in the manner shown, by passing the belts G, with a little play,'through the plates J without the thimbles h; but I believe the thimbte h to be of great service in by receivingv the friction due to the working l of the bolt G, which might otherwise wear awayand destroy the interior' of the hole in the rubber H or iu the covering-plate J, or in both., The spring H need not be always of rubber, as any allied material or compounds of gumsl or other elastic material, in a forni corresponding wit-h that here represented,

may beemployed in the same manner. Steel may also be used as a material therefor by properly' arranging coils or series of layers of steel, properly tempered and .adapted to allow both the vertical and swinging motions. I prefer rubber for many reasons, but do` not confine myself thereto. Some of the advantages due to certain lfeatures of my invention may be separately enumerated, as follows: y

First. By reason of the fact that my rubber. springs lH are. carried upon the truck,` and the weight of the ear is suspended directly therefrom, in the manner shown, I ani able to simplify the mechanism and reduce its ;c`ost and weight, and can allow thecarto' swingsmoothly and noiselessly and yet be partially restrained' by the spring, so as to limit the extent of the vibrations. Y Second. By reason' of the fact that my spring Nacts in connectionwith my spring H, and that both are secured'to the truckframe D d at the points shown, I am able to relieve the truck from much of the strain which tends to distort it, and to distribute the" load very uniformly and desirably. I am also able by this means to so far relieve the springs H as to allow them. to act more freely to allow and gently. restrain lateral and forward and rearward movements. Third. By reason of the fact thatmy thimble h extends downward within the upper portion of the spring H, in the manner shown, I am able, by makin-g it rigid upon the .plate J, to secure a longer hearing to resist the side strains upon the bolt4 or suspension-bar G, and, whether the th'mble be rigid or loose,

. them, and obtain all the liberty desired at the bottom of the hole, as also to effectually resist most of the friction due to the working of the bolt G.

Having nowfully described my invention, whatlI claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In railroad-cars, the spring. II on the vtruck'framc, so combined and arranged with vthe suspension-rod G or its equivalent that i 44,218 s contrqleboih vertical mid side motions,

slb- Hyftrilckffranne D d, slispeneiQn-rod Gi,A and stantia'lly as herein set forth.

pedestal F, substantially in the manner and 2.The combination of thetwo springs Hy for the purposes herein specified.

' and N with the truck-frame D d,substan ALFR-EDABRI-LLGES. @E `tiallyvin the meunier and for the purposes `Witnesses:

. hereinspecified. THOMAS D. STETsoN,

e3.' Th'e'thmble 1;,when used with the spring D. W. STETsoN. 

